When did Chicago Fire start playing at Soldier Field?
1997
The Fire were originally based at Soldier Field from 1997 to 2006. From 2006 to 2019, the club played at SeatGeek Stadium, a stadium originally built for the club, at 71st and Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. In 2019, with the change of ownership to Joe Mansueto, the Fire returned to Soldier Field for the 2020 MLS season.
Why are the fire playing at Soldier Field?
That’s because Soldier Field’s other tenant, the Chicago Bears, have a five day window in their lease at the stadium. Because the Bears host the Lions on Sunday, the Fire can’t play there tonight. Two giant reminders that the Fire are second-class citizens in their own stadium.
Why did the Chicago Fire go back to Soldier Field?
Staying at the new Soldier Field wasn’t the club’s future. Soccer-specificity meant moving to Bridgeview, a suburb but closer to the city. Whether or not it was close enough for the Fire to appeal broadly across Chicagoland was eventually answered by a new investor/operator opting to return to Soldier Field.
Has the Chicago Fire won a championship?
The Fire won the MLS Cup as well as the U.S. Open Cup (the “double”) in their first season in 1998. They also won U.S. Open Cups in 2000, 2003, and 2006, in addition to the 2003 MLS Supporters’ Shield. In 2015, the club won the first ever MLS Wooden Spoon, and repeated the feat in 2016.
Why did the Chicago Fire move back to Soldier Field?
What happened to Toyota Park in Chicago?
It got renamed SeatGeek Stadium in 2018 following a new naming rights sponsorship deal. Over the years, the Fire never warmed up to the stadium, far out of central Chicago, and in 2019 they reached a deal with the stadium to terminate the lease in order to move to Soldier Field in central Chicago.
What happened Toyota Park?
Who plays at SeatGeek Stadium?
Chicago Red Stars
Chicago Fire U-23
SeatGeek Stadium/Teams
Home teams With a capacity of 20,000 fans for sporting events, the stadium is the home to the NWSL Chicago Red Stars and the Legends Football League’s Chicago Bliss.